When He Loved Me
by Paradichloricbenzene
Summary: When Maple Mattie is taken away to be part of a rare exhibition of cancelled toys, he meets a headstrong wooden toy soldier named Splinter Gil - but is everything quite all right with this toy? Or is there more to be uncovered after Maple Mattie tried to escape back to his owner, Francis? PruAus feels, PruCan friendship, song fic of "When She Loved Me" from Toy Story 2.


Without barely any sound, the synthetic yet soft fur pads of Maple Mattie's feet carried the white stuffed bear across the room – the prison that it was held in. Yet its thoughts weren't at this, rather the lonely looking wooden toy soldier upon the windowsill. It had hunched over, the once proud and magnificent thing looking now fragile and almost about to break. The new coats of paint it had gotten had made no difference to the toy inside, just like the brand new glass eyes being used to view the sight made it any prettier.

"First editions" they had been called. Gathered up inside of this room, everyone got a special treatment in order to make them all look brand new and fresh from box just because they were all from the same cancelled line. But that didn't change what they were INSIDE. And it didn't change that Maple's new found friend was hurting terribly. "Hey... What're you doing all the way up there?" His gentle and soothing voice carried, attracting attention from the toys around towards the source of what broke the heavy silence. "You don't want the sun to damage your new paint job, eh?"

"Damn ze paintjob..." Came the thickly accented voice back, despite coming from a hollow and airy toy. "It can chip and rust and rot for all I care..."

"Gil..." Maple started, using the shortening of his full official title – Splinter Gil – whilst he began to climb up the various book piles to reach the varnished wood chair upon which their caretaker would often sit and read in. "Things can't be so bad. We're taken care of here..." White paws slipped upon the varnish yet with securing himself by resting his fluffy body against the arm, he found himself in a much more comfortable position to talk to the toy. "I miss Francis... I do... But I have to go back to him, no matter what. I'm so sorry that it means you'll be packed away again... But it can be avoided if you just come with me-"

"I don't VANT to!" Pink painted eyes met black glassy ones, yet it didn't stop the paint seeming glassy. "I don't VANT to be with a STUPID bratty kid!"

"Francis is not bratty." Maple calmly replied, the small threads that made his mouth turning down into a small frown. "He would look after you. He would look after all of us." His gaze didn't move from the offending toy as a paw swung backwards, almost against its threads, to gesture at the other falsely repaired toys within the room. "We'd all find homes. Francis has lots of friends in need of toys like us - Alfred, why he'd love to have Robin!"

At this, the green eyed superhero shied away, his blonde synthetic hair coming in front of his face yet not enough to show his thick eyebrows knitting together from sadness. With a small swish of his red cape caught by the smallest of drafts, he looked away towards no considerably interesting corner of the room to watch the dust bunnies gather.

"And Red Rosey! Antonio would love him!"

Said toy once again looked away from the white paw that gestured to his presence, his voice barely audible as he spat out in mumbled Italian how he preferred 'Red Romano' over the girly brand name he owned.

"And Ludwig. Ludwig loves soldiers... He would love to own you. They're all special. They would never just let toys like us go."

"Because zey are special...?"

"Yes."

Eventually the wooden solider turned, his once creaky and painful joints moving smoothly and beautifully like he was only built yesterday - the pink eyes that had been masterfully repainted and the white hair which had a new shine, sparkled in the sunlight from the new coat of varnish upon him yet all of these features looked fake upon him. "And zey make you feel like even though you are still, you are alive...?"

"Yes..." Maple confirmed, gazing up at Gil with an expression that would melt most hearts. The innocent bear had only been built 3 years ago, with almost nothing wrong with him that had to be fixed besides a missing eye. How naive, this little bear looked within the old Prussian toy's eyes. "But... How did you know...? I thought you had never been with a kid."

"Roderich..." Came the soft whisper. "...Roderich was the one who made me feel that way..." The slight crease in his eyebrows at his name, the twinge of sadness that glistened in his eyes, it was obvious what had happened.

He had been abandoned.

When Gilbert was with Roderich, everything was beautiful. And every hour, boy and wooden soldier spent together, it was something that wasn't easily forgotten. Every morning when the Austrian woke up, his first thought was to dash to the dresser upon which a gleaming and new Gilbert would sit, him having watched over him sleep and wished him sweet dreams. Even the painted stern expression would melt into one of happiness whenever Roderich played with him, resting against him happily during car rides and cheering him on during classes whenever he was taken sneakily within his backpack.

"Gilbert, have you travelled the world?"

"Ja."

"Take me with you next time, please?"

"Of course!"

Roderich giggled, his soft chocolate brown hair ruffled and messy from the covers that created the makeshift fortress they were in. It was fun to do the voices, his Papa telling him that Gilbert's would be a gruff one due to his Prussian descent. Yet little did he know, that Gilbert would always be replying, despite for Human eyes this could never been seen. Another day of playing with Roderich. Another night of watching him sleep blissfully.

And when the leaves turned brown and fell. And when the snow came and hid everything so well. It would be Roderich outside in his best boots, kicking up clouds and exploring new places with his loyal friend and companion. Even the darkest of places seemed less spooky with Gilbert by his side.

But there eventually came that one day, when Roderich didn't pick up Gilbert first. Reaching for pen and ink before leaving his room with a pile of manuscript papers, it left the wooden soldier confused as his little pink eyes gazed in longing at the back of his friend's head.

Every day.

Every month.

Every year.

Hidden underneath a pile of sheet music, the Prussian watched in horror as slowly the toys disappeared and the studies appeared as an ugly and hollow shell in its place. No longer did Roderich smile, nor laugh. Only a serious expression would plaster the once joy-filled and glowing face of the child he once knew. Strange, however much people could stay toys could never cry, he was sure one night the warm and salty tears trickled down his face.

"Argh! Where is that bit of music?!" A flustered voice burst out from the room, Gilbert's lonely pink eyes watching as Roderich stormed about the room as a young man. Searching high and low did he watch his owner be unable to find the ink on paper which he sorely needed, his search turning him to the dresser upon which stacks of papers piled high. Soft fingers upon paper searched frantically about until suddenly they stopped in surprise, the gentle tips brushing against wood. And with that, the hand that had discovered Gilbert lifted him free from his cage for the forgotten toy to see a beautiful sight – Roderich's smile.

And that smile retained turning the car ride which the two shared together, the wooden toy rested gently upon his lap. Gilbert looked up at his owner; a happy and warm smile returning to his face like it would when the two would play when they were younger.

Back at the place, where they explored in Roderich's best boots did the car pull over with a lazy whine and yet the clutch upon the toy didn't loosen.

That was until the hard and cold feel of cardboard hit his feet.

With a broke smile, the poor wooden doll watched the back of Roderich's chocolate haired head walk away from him for the last time, before returning to the old car and driving off.

"Oh..."

That was the end.

"That vas when he loved me."

* * *

Long haitus was long.

This was something I churned out after getting all feelsy over Toy Story 2 and PruAus.

Paradichloricbenzene x.


End file.
